Buy Now on Amazon
INS Jatayu Lakshadweep
In a move towards strengthening its position in the Indian Ocean Region, the Indian Navy is going to commission a new base, INS Jatayu, in the Minicoy Islands of Lakshadweep.
India lost its foothold in Maldives the smallest country in Asia to Chinese overtures. But not losing its hold in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), the Indian Navy is building a naval airbase in the Lakshadweep Islands group. The Indian isles located in the Arabian Sea is just 507 km from Maldives and is seen as an alternative to Maldives.
The ramping up of facilities on the islands will mean soon the Indian frontline fighters will roar in the Western part of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The induction of the base will be in the first week of March 2024, the timeline for which is congruent with the withdrawal of troops from the island nation.
INS Jatayu will be the counterpart of INS Baaz, the frontline naval airbase in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and will carry all classes of fighter jets and aircrafts. During the commissioning ceremony, a squadron of MH-60R helicopters will also be raised. It will enhance surveillance, search and rescue operations and anti-submarine warfare capabilities.
Minicoy Islands lies near the Nine Degree Channel which is one of the busiest shipping routes about 130 km from the northernmost island of Maldives. PM Narendra Modi visited this island in January 2023, which was followed by a social media war between the two countries, resulting in a diplomatic feud between the two nations.
